Singer and rapper, Cynthia Morgan now known as Madrina has criticized colleague Paul Okoye for his decision to distance himself from her. During an Instagram live session, Paul clarified that she was never directly signed to him but rather to his brother, highlighting their separation while expressing well wishes for her recovery.
He said: “Cynthia Morgan, she is not my artiste. She was never my artiste. She was my elder brother’s artiste. They have gone their different ways. Na she sabi. I wish her to get well soon.”
However, Cynthia slammed the singer for the audacity to talk down on her, asking him if she was sick that the singer was wishing her a quick recovery.
Madrina reminded him that he still owed her for the feature she did for him and his then-girlfriend, while he was still married to his now ex-wife, Anita Okoye.
She wrote: “You think you can talk @iamkingrudy you wish me get well soon, me and you who they sick? Remember you still owe me for the feature I did for you and your girlfriend who was also your artiste in 2016? And I believe you were still married at the time? Mind yourself Paul, mind yourself.”
Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, leading to widespread hardship and anger. The trade union umbrella group, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), held protests in the main cities on Tuesday, calling for more action from the government.
A liter of petrol costs more than three times what it did nine months ago, while the price of the staple food, rice, has more than doubled in the past year. These two figures highlight the difficulties that many Nigerians are facing as wages have not kept up with the rising cost of living.
Like many nations, Nigeria has experienced economic shocks from beyond its shores in recent years, but there are also issues specific to the country, partly driven by the reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu when he took office last May.
How bad is the economy?
Overall, annual inflation, which is the average rate at which prices go up, is now close to 30% – the highest figure in nearly three decades. The cost of food has risen even more – by 35%.
However, the monthly minimum wage, set by the government and which all employers are supposed to observe, has not changed since 2019, when it was put at 30,000 naira – this is worth just $19 (£15) at current exchange rates.
Many are going hungry, rationing what food they have or looking for cheaper alternatives.
In the north, some people are now eating the rice that is normally discarded as part of the milling process. The waste product usually goes into fish food. Widely shared social media videos indicate how some are reducing portion sizes.
One clip shows a woman cutting a fish into nine pieces rather than the average four to five. She is heard saying her goal is to ensure her family can at least eat some fish twice a week.
What is causing Nigeria’s economic crisis?
Inflation has soared in many countries, as fuel and other costs spiked as a result of the war in Ukraine. But President Tinubu’s efforts to remodel the economy have also added to the burden. On the day he was sworn in nine months ago, the new president announced that the long-standing fuel subsidy would be ending.
This had kept petrol prices low for citizens of this oil-producing nation, but it was also a huge drain on public finances. In the first half of 2023, it accounted for 15% of the budget – more than the government spent on health or education. Mr Tinubu argued that this could be better used elsewhere.
However, the subsequent huge jump in the price of petrol has caused other prices to rise as companies pass on transportation and energy costs to the consumer.
One other factor that is pushing up inflation is an issue that Mr Tinubu inherited from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, according to financial analyst Tilewa Adebajo.
He told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the previous government had asked the country’s central bank for short-term loans to cover spending amounting to $19bn.
The bank printed the money, which helped fuel inflation, Mr Adebajo said.
What has happened to the naira?
Mr Tinubu also ended the policy of pegging the price of the currency, the naira, to the US dollar rather than leaving it up to the market to determine on the basis of supply and demand. The central bank was spending a lot of money maintaining the level.
But scrapping the peg has led the naira’s value to plunge by more than two-thirds, briefly hitting an all-time low last week.
Last May, 10,000 naira would buy $22, now it will only fetch around $6.40.
As the naira is worth less, the price of all imported products has gone up.
When will things get better?
While the president is unlikely to reverse his decisions on the fuel subsidy and the naira, which he argues will pay off in the long run by making Nigeria’s economy stronger, the government has introduced some measures to ease the suffering.
Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced the establishment of a board charged with controlling and regulating food prices. The government also ordered the national grain reserve to distribute 42,000 tonnes of grains, including maize and millet.
This is not the first time the government has said it is distributing aid to poor and vulnerable Nigerians, but labor unions have often criticized the government’s method of food distribution, saying much of it does not reach poor families.
The government has also said it is working with rice producers to get more of it into markets and customs officials have been instructed to cheaply sell off bags of the grain that they have seized. In a sign of how bad things are, on Friday this led to a crush in the biggest city, Lagos, which killed seven people, local media report. These hand-outs have now been halted.
The rice was seized under the previous government, which banned imports of rice to encourage local farmers to grow more. That ban was lifted last year in at attempt to bring down the cost but because of the fall in the value of the naira, that has not worked.
Around 15 million poorer households are also receiving a cash transfer of 25,000 naira ($16; £13) a month, but these days that doesn’t go very far.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced its decision to sell foreign exchange worth $20,000 to each eligible Bureau De Change operator across the country.
This is coming more than two years after the suspended former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, stopped the sales of foreign exchange to BDC operators in that segment of the forex market. The apex bank disclosed this in a new circular issued and signed by the Director, Trade and Exchange Department, Hassan Mahmud, on Tuesday.
The circular titled, “Sale of Foreign Exchange to Bureau de Change Operators to meet retail demand for eligible invisible transactions” said the move aimed at rectifying the persisting distortions in the retail segment of Nigeria’s foreign exchange market and bridging the widening gap in the exchange rate.
It said the allocation will be sold at a rate of N1,301/$, reflecting the lower band rate of executed spot transactions at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market as of the previous trading day, dated February 27, 2024.
The circular read, “Following the ongoing reforms in the foreign exchange market, aimed at achieving an appropriate market-determined exchange rate for the Naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria has observed the continued price distortions at the retail end of the market, which is feeding into the parallel market and further widening the exchange rate premium.
“To this end, the CBN has approved the sale of foreign exchange to eligible Bureau De Change to meet the demand for invisible transactions. The sum of $20,000 is to be sold to each BDC at the rate of N1,301/$- (representing the lower band rate of executed spot transactions at NAFEM for the previous trading day, as of today, 27th February 2024).
“All BDCs are allowed to sell to end-users at a margin NOT MORE THAN one per cent (1 per cent) above the purchase rate from CBN.”
It further directed eligible BDCs to make Naira payments to the designated CBN Foreign Currency Deposit Naira Accounts and submit confirmation of payment, with other necessary documentation.
“All eligible BDCs are directed to make the Naira payment to the designated CBN Foreign Currency Deposit Naira Accounts and submit confirmation of payment, with other necessary documentation, for disbursement at the appropriate CBN Branches ABUJA, AWKA, LAGOS and KANO,” it added.
The CBN in frantic efforts to save the free fall of the naira has made a number of significant reforms towards addressing Naira depreciation, such as probing and clearing FX backlog, limiting forex for foreign education and medical tourism, increasing BDCs’ minimum share capital, and curbing FX speculators among others .
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted the single largest consignment of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.
The Agency said it successfully dismantled and arrested members of an organized criminal organization which specializes in trafficking heroin across Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe and America in a 12-day well-coordinated operation leading to the seizure. Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, in a statement on Tuesday, February 27, said this was disclosed at a press conference by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) in Lagos.
According to the statement, while explaining that the briefing is in line with the Agency’s policy of transparency in its renewed fight against drug traffickers, Marwa gave a chronological brief of how the operation leading to what is now the single largest seizure of heroin at the Lagos airport was successfully carried out.
According to Marwa, “It started on February 10, 2024, when NDLEA operatives of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command intercepted a suspicious package at the SAHCO Import Shed of the airport’s Cargo Terminal. The consignment was concealed in 15 cartons of 2300-watt metal cutting machines. Each carton was stocked with three blocks of high-grade heroin. In total, we recovered 45 blocks of the illicit substance with a total weight of 49.70kg.
“After the discovery, we were methodical and meticulous in our investigations. We started with the arrest of the freight agent whose name is Olowolagba Wasiu Babatunde. It turned out that he was hired for clearing services by Mattpee Logistics, a company operated by one Mr. Kola resident in South Africa.
“Next, we conducted a follow up operation at the company’s warehouse in the Shogunle area of Oshodi, Lagos, and arrested the warehouse manager, whose name is Ajayi Imole Moses. Thereafter, we set up an ambush for the expected receiver of the consignment who was duly arrested when he showed up for collection. This receiver, whose name is Adinnu Felix Chinedu, confessed during interrogation, that he is the main distributor for a drug syndicate whose membership is spread across Nigeria.
“He admitted that he usually conveyed the consignment to a dedicated warehouse located in Ayobo. That place served as a workshop where he would dismantle the consignment and remove the drugs from the machines. Thereafter, he would wait for a list of various recipients to be forwarded to him from South Africa by the head of the criminal group.
“Our operatives did due diligence by conducting a thorough search of the warehouse which led to the recovery of 56 similar cartons of the cutting machines that were used previously as modes of concealment to ferry heroin into Nigeria. At this point, it was clear that we are dealing with a syndicate that operates in other countries. By the time, we were done exploring various leads we had, we unraveled an organized criminal network that operates in South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria and parts of Europe and America.
“This syndicate has a wide network in Nigeria because the consignments we seized were marked with several codenames, showing that they belonged to different members of this organized criminal group. Furthermore, in our follow-up operation, we uncovered from the suspect a long list of receivers of illicit drugs. In the end, we were able to identify the kingpin of the syndicate here in Nigeria and his name is Reginald Peter Chidiebere. Our investigations showed that he owns the Golden Platinum Hotel and Suite, located at 16 Reginald Peter Chidiebere Street, Hope Estate, Ago Palace.”
Scores of workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Labor Congress in Benue State trooped out on Tuesday to protest the economic hardship in the country.
The protesting union members who started from the NLC state secretariat located along Otukpo road marched towards major streets in the capital city of Makurdi and terminated the protest match at the government house. Security operatives were also deployed at strategic locations to avert any breakdown of law and order.
The State Chairman, NLC, Comrade Terungwa Igbe lamented that Nigerians are passing through untold hardships following the bad economic policies of the Federal Government.
Igbe said prices of goods have skyrocketed to the extent that within a day and in the same market, the same items are sold at different rates depending on the time of the day. He said the high cost of living has affected the workers seriously and urged President Tinubu to urgently initiate and implement policies that would alleviate the sufferings of the masses.
Also, the Zonal Coordinator, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Nsukka Zone, Mr Rapheal Amokaha, said their current salaries could no longer feed two persons for a month due to the high cost of living in the country.
“If not for the economic hardships inflicted on Nigerians by the President’s policies we won’t be talking about salaries here. Our salaries can not feed two persons for a month,” Amokaha said .
Addressing the workers, the State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia stated that the government was aware of the sufferings of workers and other Nigerians in the country.
Alia who was represented by his Chief of Staff Mr Paul Biam assured the protesting workers that their grievances would be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu.
He said it was very clear that Nigerians were passing through tough times and said the government was not relenting in its efforts to ensure that Nigerians have an improved standard of living.
He said, “As a government, we are completely in agreement with the facts that workers and indeed Nigerians are going through tough times. We have to accept these realities in our faces. It is only when we accept and try to bring up policies that can cushion this that we can live better.
“We are in complete support of whatever legitimate ways you are doing to ensure that the government is on her toes to bring in policies that will alleviate the sufferings of the masses.
“We are aware of your sufferings. We understand your predicaments. Please be assured of the Governor’s concern and worry. We understand your predicaments and we will continue to engage your leadership to ensure that together we build a better Benue.” he said .
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 51 suspected illegal miners and three suspected telecommunication mast vandals in the federal capital territory (FCT).
The NSCDC FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu made the disclosure on Monday while briefing journalists.
He said that the three suspected vandals were apprehended by the men of Critical National Assets and infrastructure unit of his command, following a tip-off of the dismantling activity at Giri area by the FCT Command intelligence and undercover operatives He told the public that before the decommissioning of any mast, an approval of such act must be obtained from the NSCDC being the lead agency in the protection of critical national asset and infrastructure in the country..
Odumosu disclosed that the suspects during interrogation by the command’s Anti-vandal Unit, were unable to show an approval from the Corps.
He said: “Neither do they have any proper means of identification showing who they are and the company they are working for.
“Upon further questioning, they revealed that a a certain business man had already been paid the sum of N4 million ahead for the dismantling which raised suspicion of a premeditated act of vandalism.
“Ongoing investigation is being carried out to determine his level of culpability and ownership claim after which necessary action will be taken.”
The Commandant disclosed that in a similar operation, 51 suspects were arrested in Gwagwalada area of the FCT for engaging in illegal mining activities. Odumosu explained that the suspects, all male, had been profiled and had no evidence of a registered company they were operating under as well as no exploration and mining licence.
“All acts of illegal mining encroaches on the soil and causes environmental degradation and erosion and that is why most of these areas are no longer useful for agricultural and human activities.”
He said that after thoroughly investigating both cases, the suspects would be charged to court for further disciplinary action that will serve as deterrence to others.
Exhibits recovered from the 54 suspects were dismantled metal mast parts, five pumping machines.
“Un-quantified amount of substance alleged to be gold dust, pumping hoses, ten litres of fuel, shovels, diggers and head- pan.
According to Odumosu, henceforth, we will not relent to arrest any form of sabotage on the economy; the Federal Government is trying so hard to provide infrastructure to make life easy.
“And some miscreants in the name of vandalism and illegal mining are trying to destroy what has been provided.
“People are quick in condemning government but people like these are the ones destroying the efforts of the Federal Government,” the Commandant added.
The Command Head warned vandals and criminals in the FCT to relocate, stressing that, the NSCDC was out for them as there is no hiding place left for them in the territory.
Here are some of the highlights of the far reaching decisions taken today at the Federal Executive Council meeting, chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
1. FEC approved construction of Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar Coastal Superhighway to Messrs Hitech Construction Africa. The First phase made up of 47 kms will begin in Lagos.
2. Social security payments to the vulnerable households to begin immediately. Recipients will be those with NIN and BVN.
3. Social security payments to be extended to graduates from NCE and upwards
4. Consumer Credit to be established very urgently. Chief of Staff to lead a committee that includes Budget Minister, Attorney-General, Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance, to make the scheme a reality.
5. The Council in order to enhance efficiency in the Federal service, and reduce the cost of governance, decided to implement the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye panel on the restructuring and rationalisation of Federal agencies, parastatals and commissions.
The implementation involves merging, subsuming and scrapping agencies with similar functions.
The Oronsaye report was submitted in 2012 to the Jonathan administration. In 2014, the Jonathan government released a white paper on the report. The Buhari administration after re-examining the white paper also released a second white paper in August 2022, but did not implement the report.
However, the Tinubu administration has decided to confront the monster of high governance cost by implementing elements of the report.
An eight-man committee has a 12-week deadline to ensure that the necessary legislative amendments and administrative restructuring needed to implement the reforms are effected in an efficient manner.
The committee comprises Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service, Attorney General and Justice Minister, Budget and Planning Minister, DG Bureau of Public Service Reform, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Special assistant to the president on National Assembly. The Cabinet Affairs Office will serve as the secretariat.
Key recommendations for implementation:
National Salaries, Income and wages Commission to be subsumed under Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. The National Assembly will need to amend the constitution as RMAFC was established by the constitution.
Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission to be merged with Bureau of Public Enterprise and be rechristened as `Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission
National Human Rights Commission to swallow Public Complaints Commission
Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate(PTAD) to be scrapped and functions to be taken over by Federal Ministry of Finance
NEMA and National Commission for Refugees to be fused to become National Emergency and Refugee Management Commission
Border Communities Development Agency to become a department under National Boundary Commission
NACA and NCDC to be merged
SERVICOM to become a department under the Bureau for Public Service Reform(BPSR)
NALDA to return to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Federal Ministry of Science to supervise a new agency that combines NCAM, NASENI and PRODA
National Commission for Museums and Monuments and National Gallery of Arts to become one entity that will be known as National Commission for Museums, Monuments and Gallery of Arts.
National Theatre to be merged with National Troupe.
13. Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and Directorate of Technical Aid Corp to be merged under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to become an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Federal Radio Corporation and Voice of Nigeria to be one entity to be known as Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria
National Biotechnology Development Agency(NABDA) and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology to be emerged into an agency to be known as National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency(NBRDA).
National Institute for Leather Science Technology and National Institute for Chemical Technology to become one agency.
Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development to become one agency.
The National Metallurgical Development Centre and National Metallurgical Training Institute will be merged.
National Institute for Trypanosomiasis to be subsumed under Institute of Veterinary Research in Vom, Jos.
… as Dr. Akpua enjoins colleagues to go beyond partnership, join Rotary to better society.
Action Group, a subsidiary of Rotary Club International District 9142 Onitsha, Anambra State, has urged members of the state legislature to be more creative in their primary responsibilities, and fashion out ways to alleviate the plights of the masses, especially at the current economic hardship ravaging Nigeria.
The group made the call when they paid courtesy visit to the member representing Njikoka Two Constituency, Dr. Jude Akpua.
Addressing their host and other state lawmakers who joined in receiving them, the leader of the group, Comrade Chinedu Ogbuefi, said the visit was necessary due to the importance of the legislature in addressing the needs of the masses they are representing.
He described Rotary Club International as a charitable organization renowned for selflessly improving the wellbeing of humanity irrespective race, religion or tribe.
Responding Dr. Akpua, who is the Deputy Majority Leader of Anambra State House Of Assembly, and other members of the state legislature commended the efforts of Rotary Club International in uplifting humanity, and promised to partner with them for more people-oriented programmes in the state assembly.
They noted that having been elected by the people for the people, they would continue to serve their people selflessly and without seeking personal aggrandizement of any sort, which the lawmakers said is in tandem with the working principle of Rotary Club International.
Dr. Akpua, a Rotarian, enjoined his colleagues at the state legislature to go beyond partnership and become members of Rotary Club International for more impacts in making the society better.
Highlight of the visit was decoration of members of the Anambra State House of Assembly present.
President Bola Tinubu has vowed to proceed with his planned visit to Qatar despite the authorities’ unwillingness to welcome the Nigerian leader.
Francisca Omayuli, spokesperson of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Saturday that read, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms the forthcoming visit by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the State of Qatar on 2-3 March, as scheduled.”
The foreign affairs minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said Qatar and Nigeria are strong allies with a “long history of friendship and close bilateral relations,” adding that.
Mr Tinubu’s upcoming visit to Doha “will help build on this important relationship.”
The ministry, according to Ms Omayuli, was aware that the diplomatic memo expressing Qatar’s unwillingness to host the Nigerian leader had been leaked to the media, but it would not comment on “leaks.”
“The Ministry is aware of the circulation in the media of diplomatic correspondence and wishes to confirm that it will not comment on leaks,” the spokesperson said.
Earlier the Qatari government rejected Mr Tinubu’s proposed visit for a business parley on March 2 and 3 because the nation’s commerce minister would be outside the country on the days the Nigerian leader intended to visit.
Qatari authorities in the Note Verbale also stated that they had no signed agreement with Nigeria on investment promotion and protection.
“The embassy has the honour to inform that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Qatar apologises that it will not be able to hold a business and investment forum as proposed by the Nigerian side,” the Note Verbale sent by the Qatari government to the Nigerian government on Thursday stated.
Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Igboho, on Friday, said he came back to Nigeria by the power of God.
The Nation reported that the freedom fighter returned to Nigeria on Thursday, ahead of his mother’s burial in the Saki area of Oyo State. He alleged that Buhari sent the Department of State Services (DSS) and soldiers to assassinate him in his house.
Addressing his followers in Oyo State in Yoruba language, he claimed that his agitation against Fulani herders killing of farmers in the Southwest was behind the move to assassinate him.
He said: “Buhari sent his soldiers and DSS to arrest me in my house because I said Yorubas are not slaves to Fulanis, they can’t suppress us in our father’s land.
“Fulanis can’t stop our fathers and mothers from going to their farms. But, I’m back with the power of God and authority not that of man.”
